Omar Abdullah Calls for Awareness, Collaboration on Organ Donation at SAMAGAM-2025

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah

VoM News Desk | February 24, 2025 | 09:44 PM IST | Breaking News, India, Jammu Kashmir | Follow on Google News

Omar Abdullah Calls for Awareness, Collaboration on Organ Donation at SAMAGAM-2025

KL

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday underscored the importance of organ donation, calling for greater awareness and collaboration among medical experts, religious scholars, and stakeholders.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of SAMAGAM-2025, a two-day event on organ and tissue donation organized by the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), New Delhi, in partnership with the State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO), J&K, at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC).

During the event, the Chief Minister commended Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, and GMC Jammu for their contributions to kidney and corneal transplants. He urged these institutions to strengthen efforts in initiating cadaveric organ donation in Jammu and Kashmir.

He also emphasised the need for informed discussions on organ donation, suggesting collaboration between medical professionals and religious scholars to address concerns and build acceptance. The government, he assured, would extend full support to such initiatives.

A key highlight of the event was the recognition of organ donation ambassadors from Kashmir, including the family of the late Dr Manzoor Ahmed, a renowned eye surgeon and former Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at GMC Srinagar. His eyes were donated posthumously by ophthalmologists Dr Khurshid Ahmed and Dr Seema Mian. Kidney transplant recipient Heenu Mushtaq, who continues to lead a healthy life, was also felicitated.

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The event featured expert discussions on various aspects of organ donation and transplantation, including the current status of organ donation in India, the evolution of cadaveric organ donation, and religious perspectives on the subject.

Among the attendees were Director General of Health Services, Government of India, Dr Atul Goel; Director of NOTTO, New Delhi, Dr Anil Kumar; Director of SKIMS, Dr Ashraf Ganai; Principal of GMC Srinagar, Dr Iffat Hassan Shah; and Principal of GMC Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta. Delegates from Regional and State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs & SOTTOs) from various states also participated in the event.

The conference aimed to address challenges and pave the way for a more structured approach to organ donation in Jammu and Kashmir.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by VoM News staff and is published from the syndicated feed)

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